It is important to include some vegetable or animal protein every meal, no matter how poor.Protein is used for body repair and maintenance, body building and development, generation of regulators and modulators of life processes such as functional enzymes, hormones, nerve transmitter substances such as adrenaline, and protective immune system substances such as antibodies and interferon.
The proteins that we eat are broken down during digestion to amino acids (alpha-amino carboxylic acid derivatives)which are absorbed and transported by the blood to different parts of the body for utilization. Wenow know there are numerous amino acids in nature but the 22 standard amino acids that humans utilize are: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cysteine-cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, gama-amino-butyric acid,and taurine. Under normal circumstances, the body has an amino acid pool from which it draws amino acids for different purposes. Amino acids are the structural units (monomers) that make up proteins. They are joined by enzymes to form short polymers called peptides or longer chains called polypeptides or proteins. Originally from proteins that we eat, the absorbed amino acids are recombined within the body into the proteins that the body needs such as tissue proteins that make the body structures and carry out cellular functions; plasma proteinsthat function within the blood; and chemical agents such as neurotransmitters found in the brain and nerves. Some amino acids converted into ketoacid residues are utilized in certain energy generating pathways. Spent and unneeded amino acids are converted to urea and ammonium and excreted.
The human body can synthesize amino acids:alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Tyrosine is synthesized from dietary phenylalanine therefore if thefood we eat lacks phenylalanine, tyrosine will not be produced. Tyrosine is the starting molecule from which vital nerve and brain transmitter substances dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline are synthesized within the body.Humans lack enzymes to produceamino acids:arginine histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. These nine are called essential amino acids because it is essential that they are supplied in our diet. It is necessary to eat beef, poultry, and animal parts, dairy products, sea foods, and proteinaceous plant parts such as beans, cereals, and nuts.
The amino acidscysteine, tyrosine, and arginine are considered semi-essential amino-acids in children and need to be taken with food because their synthetic processes are not yet developed in children.Taurine,often included in energy drinks, is a form of amino acid that is similarly required by children.Conditional amino acids are those that become essentialin under conditions such as illness and stress where dietary supply is needed to cope with conditional needs. Conditional amino acids include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline, and serine. Some amino acids are especially important for brain function, especially for neurotransmission, transportation, and biosynthesis. Amino acids such as glutamate, aspartate, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), and glycine are important neurotransmitters. Glutamate is the main excitatory transmitter and GABA is the main inhibitory transmitter. The amino acid tryptophan is known to improve the mood of people with depression. The brain works by employing and balancing various transmitters and chemical messengers. There are numerous messengers derived from amino acids or synthesized by enzymes that are themselves derived from amino acids. For example, acetyl choline, an important neurotransmitter, is synthesized from choline. The body makes choline from dietary amino acid methionine. The enzyme choline-acetyl-transferase that makes acetyl choline is a protein molecule. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. It is derived from the amino acid tryptophan. Some transmitter substances are neuropeptides (amino acid chains). Examples are: substance P and enkephalins that are involved with pain signals. The body can degrade its own body proteins from muscles to release amino acids if there is a serious lack of an essential amino acid in the diet.If a person has imbalance in intake of essential amino acids, he or she may end up with imbalances in hormones and transmitter substances. Symptoms such as irritability, lack of concentration, ordepression may ensue.
Because of their biological significance, amino acids are important in nutrition and are commonly used in nutritional supplements. Amino acid supplements are big business. They are marketed as sports products to promote good health and fitness. They are claimed to promote energy, endurance, recovery, muscle repair, strength, hydration, etc. They are supplied as single amino acids or cocktails in powders or capsules. However, having all the essential amino acids as neededdoes not require careful calculation. We just need to eat proteins in our foods regularly to help to optimize brain function (and for other conditions that pertain such as pregnancy, recovery from brain injury, recovery from an illness, etc.).
The scientific world is interested in proteins and other substances that counteractthe mental decline experienced as people age. Beta2-microglobulin (B2M) is one culpritprotein that accumulates in the blood and spinal fluid with age. In Alzheimer’s disease, certain protein fragments called beta amyloid accumulate to form insoluble plaques in the brain. Another bad protein is called tau protein, a dysfunctional protein. “When the blood of young mice is injected into old mice, it halts brain and muscle degeneration, helps fractured bones heal and prevents heart damage….Ultimately, the best strategy to combat ageing might be through treatments combining “pro-youthful” factors with drugs that neutralise “pro-ageing” factors like B2M” (WebMD).Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amino acid that might help Alzheimer’s patients to have improved memory.Prevagen containingapoaequorin, which is found in a certain jellyfish is marketed as a protein supplement that can “dramatically improve such things as learning, short-term memory and word recall” and “healthier brain, sharper mind, clearer thinking”.
Martha Lindsay nutrition educator, a member of the Dr. Diane® integrative team of brain health experts, uses the following formula to determine how much complete protein a person requires daily: divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiply that number by 0.8. This gives you the number of grams of protein you need each day for your body maintenance and brain function. A ¼ cup of nuts or seeds gives about 4-8 g, a cup of beans gives about 18 g, and 4 ounces of sea food or meat products give about 35g of protein therefore we can estimate if we are falling short.
The complexity of the brain and its chemical players belittles the ego. It is simply marvelous and we just have to be grateful and eat our proteins.